Willis Family of England to Tasmania & Victoria,

George Thomas Willis was born c 1810 in Manchester,England,
the son of Thomas Willis [hatter], and mothers name unknown.

George followed into his father's trade and became a master hatter

George was arrested and charged at the Salford Sittings,Lancashire in 1827 for stealing two tame pigeons. As this was his fourth offence, he was sentenced to transportation to Tasmania. George was 19 years of age at the time of transportation, and had been working for for a Mr Sheredith at the Fruit Market at Sheffield. He had previous convictions for stealing shirt,lead, stockings and a hen.

George set sail with 170 male convicts aboard the'Bengal Merchant' from Plymouth on the 25th March 1828. He had received 10 shillings,8 pence before leaving. He was ill on the journey out and had to visit the ship's surgeon on several occasions.During the journey there was an attempted mutiny, but George was not involved.The Bengal Merchant arrived in Tasmania 10th August 1828 after a journey of 138 days.

Geo was assigned to Mr Dart of Mills Plain on his arrival. George was not a complacent prisoner, he had some fifteen recorded instances of disciplinary action against his name,including: disobediance ,insolence,neglect of duty,absence from duty,burglary, unneccesary violence,drinking in a public house. George was retrialled in 1833 for a burglary charge and his sentence was extended. He received 80 lashes during his time of conviction and also spent several times in chains in hard labour for his punishement. In 1840 he was charged with living in adultery with a woman of bad conduct.

In 1848 George Willis married Margaret Barnett, the daughter of Henry Harris and Ellen Kennedy, both convicts.

Margaret had previously married in 1845 to George Burnett. We have been unable to ascertain what became of Burnett, but within 14 days of George marrying Margaret, and within days of receiving his ticket of leave, both of them sailed to Victoria aboard the 'Essington' bound for Port Fairy [Vict].
Aboard also was Margaret's mother, Ellen Harris, previously Kennedy, nee Mcgrath.
In February 1850 George Willis returned to Tasmania, per 'Flying Fish' to collect Elizabeth Willis, aged app 6 years of age. George and Elizabeth returned per ' City of Sydney' in 1850 to Portland.

George and Margaret spent their first years in Victoria at Woodford, where George appeared to have worked as a bushman/laborer. They spent about 6 years her, until the outbreak of the gold rushes and George must have had some success here, as in 1854 he bought some expensive land in the 1854 land sales in Warrnambool.He also bought land at Wangoom. George and Margaret returned to the diggings and another child was born here They returned to Wangoom in 1859 and settled there for some time.

They took over the running of the Queensferry Hotel outside Dennington [near Warrnambool] and it was here George died in 1871 of diabetes. Margaret Willis took over the running of the hotel, she remarried in 1873 to John Ferguson,a bachelor a good deal younger than her, and of whom she also outlived. Margaret [or Granny Ferguson as she was known] died 7th Dec 1917 in Warrnambool. She and George Willis are buried together at the Warrnambool Cemetery

Willis Children

Elizabeth Willis - born Tas c 1846. m Thomas OHalloran [Colac]
George Thomas [jnr] bc 1861. married Ann Ferguson [Owned Hotels]Warrnambool District
Elijah Willis. b 1862. died 1886. died after a long and painful illness
Mary Willis. b 1863. married Albert Edward Evans [Lived Terang]
John Richard Willis b 1865. married Letitia Carmody. [Lived W/bool/Rosebrook]
Patrick Willis b 1867 - Geelong, son of Elizabeth,[grandson of George and Margaret] raised as son of George and Margaret. m Rebecca Allenby.
Edward Willis. b 1869.married Sabina Clynes. [Noorat]
Vincent James Willis.born 1859. died as child.
Henry Willis. b 1849. Woodford. was a bartender for his mother at Dennington in the 1870's.. has *disappeared*
Thomas Willis b 1851 - died pre 1871..unknown
James Willis. born 1855. alive 1871.. unknown
William Willis. born 1857. married Cath Kilderry. three children know of and only one know son John Richard,possibly known as Richard Willis, kown surviving 1886, then William and his family have *disappeared*.